Insulated. Where I live, it's really damn cold. I also hate it when you're layered up and they're all seated weirdly on you, then they start pulling annoyingly when you try to move. It feels like wearing a straight jacket. In a warmer climate I definitely understand the benefits of a good technical layering setup though.

Ironically, I'm rocking shell pants this season. Didn't like the look and fit of anything else Orage made this year besides their Belmont. Plus it's just a tougher pant that can take some abuse, and I'll be rocking crash shorts underneath. I still got my old insulated pants for the colder days if needed.

shell. always shell. you can put or take off as many layers as you need to keep that optimal temperature. if you have an insulated jacket you can easily get too hot and be forced to open up/take it off. also they're less comfy to have layers underneath. also if you get super wet a shell dries really fast and you just change sweaters underneath. an insulated jacket takes way longer to dry.

you could always wear a micro puff underneath your shell if you're too cold. i rarely find my self needing more than a few base layers and a fleece under my shell. mind you it doesn't really get that cold in whistler. i don't even have a micro puff at the moment though, and if i did i'm sure i could manage colder temps. i did always wear a big puffy back at sugarloaf on those crazy cold days, but i probably still could have gotten by with a shell and proper layers underneath...to an extent, haha puffys weren't enough there sometimes.

I rock a shell jacket. I wear a marmot down jacket underneath, works prefect. For the pants I also rock a shell, wear long underwear if its just a regular day, and wear long underwear and sweat pants...works well.

usually insulated pants and shell jacket when resort skiing. switch to shell pants if i've got the touring gear

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